Plantation Manager

Job description

**ABOUT THE PROJECT** The Navilahally Coffee Estate is a 250-acre operating plantation in the Western Ghats, Sakleshpur, Karnataka. It forms one of three pillars of a landmark development: the JW Marriott Plantation Resort & Residences a flagship hospitality asset developed by Prestige Hospitality Ventures Limited (PHVL). The plantation is a commercial, ecological and experiential operation, and the Plantation Manager will be its custodian, leader and public face. This is not a conventional estate manager role. The successful candidate will lead a living landscape that simultaneously delivers commercial yield, ecological stewardship, community development and world-class guest experiences for guests of the JW Marriott hotel. **PURPOSE OF THE ROLE** To manage the Navinahalli plantation as a Centre of Excellence — integrating sustainability, best agricultural practices and optimum profitability — in a manner that creates an outstanding, authentic and educational experience for hotel guests while delivering meaningful benefit to the estate's workers and surrounding communities. **KEY RESPONSIBILITIES** **1. Commercial Plantation Operations** - Overall management of coffee, pepper, cocoa, arecanut and herb cultivation across 250 acres - Implementation of organic and natural farming practices; organic certification attainment and renewal - Yield optimisation through precision agronomy, soil health management and crop scheduling - Management of wet and dry processing facilities, drying yards and bonded storage - Small-batch production management for the Roastery's retail and guest take-away programme - Plantation P&L accountability: budgeting, capex management and profitability reporting to PHVL - Market relationships and offtake arrangements for premium estate produce **2. Ecology, Hydrology & Wildlife** - Stewardship of the gravity-fed interconnected waterbody network — monitoring, balancing and maintenance - Pisciculture programme management across estate lakes - Elephant early-warning system (acoustic sensors, CCTV) — operation and maintenance - Elephant-grade fencing management with designated wildlife corridor preservation - Reptile management programme and rapid-response coordination - Biodiversity monitoring; liaison with Karnataka Forest Department and wildlife authorities - Compliance with all environmental and water extraction statutory requirements **3. Infrastructure & Statutory Compliance** - Maintenance of 11km internal road and pathway network to all-weather standard - Boundary fencing, CCTV surveillance and estate security management - Landscape lighting programme — low-lux, controlled, ecologically sensitive - Management and preservation of historical temple sites within estate boundaries - Full compliance with Karnataka Plantation Labour Act, FSSAI, forest regulations and water permits - Coordination with construction contractors (L&T, K2K, MEP teams) during the active build phase **4. Labour, Welfare & Community Development** - Recruitment, training and retention of plantation workforce - Labour colony management: housing standards, sanitation, community facilities - Workforce welfare: medical access, crche, grievance redressal, mental health support - Staff attire and guest-interaction training for all estate-facing workers - Delivery of the CSR programme for adjoining villages: school support, medical camps, street lighting, water supply, crche - Relationship management with village communities, panchayat leaders and district authorities **5. Guest Experience Curation** - Design and delivery of the plantation's guest experience programme — in close partnership with the hotel team - Bean-to-cup journey, harvest participation, ecology walks, waterbody and pisciculture tours - Cocoa and chocolatery trail; cooking and herb garden experiences; temple and heritage walks - Sustainability masterclass for engaged guests — certifiable completion pathway - Ensuring all guest interaction protocols are trained, maintained and consistently delivered across estate staff - Continuous innovation in experience programming — level-progression model encouraging return visits